Latch



oct. y2,1945.

LATCH Filed oct. 18,v 1944 L. L. ANDERSON 5 Sheets-Sheet l il .Q9 l

si G21 lnuenov Ummm w 'fum Oct. 2, 1945. 1 l.. ANDERSON 2,335,961

LATCH Filed Oct. 18, 1944 3 Sheets-Shea?I 2 r1.4m dLPmarsoh w Oct. 2, 1945. L, ANDERSON 2,385,961

LATCH Filed Oct. 18, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 lhuenfov B Li-m L. Anderson Patented Oct. 2, 1945 LATCH Lloyd L. Anderson, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Winters & C'rampton Corporation, Grandville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 18', 1944, Serial-No. 559,186 s claims. (c1. 292-332) This invention is directed to a latch which has been designed for use on refrigerator doors, though of course not limited solely to such use. The provision of a simple and sturdy construction of latch, for the effective closing and tight sealing of a door accomplished in a novel and practical way, with a closing of the door by a light pressure, and with more effective overcoming of the resistance of the resilient gasket between the door and door casing are among the objects and purposes of the present invention.

Moreover, the latch construction is made largely of sheet metal parts which are readily and economically produced in quantity whereby the cost of the latch construction is low. The present of the plate 2, said bracket being of angle form,

latch construction and the embodiments illustrating the invention are, in a large measure, directed to the same objects andpurposes as described in my recently filed application, Ser. No. 547,374, filed July 31, 1944.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary' horizontal section through the latch of my invention in closed position engaging with a latch bolt keeper, the keeper being fixed upon the refrigerator casing and the latch mounted upon the door.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the latch mechanism with the supporting sides therefor in section.

Fig. 3 is a section, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, with the latch bolt occupying the position which it has when the door on which it is mounted is opened, the pivotally mounted latch bolt being heldin a cocked position.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the interior latch mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the supporting sides being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch mechanism in the position whichit occupies when a door is closed, the outer housing support therefor being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 61s a section of a latch mechanism, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, in a slightly modified form but having structure operating in the same manner and upon the same principles of operation.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, a partial section and end elevation of the latch, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the pivoted latch bolt shown in Figs. 6 and '1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

and to its outwardly extending leg the immediate keeper member is connected. Said immediate keeper member is bent from a. single length of metal with an intermediate section 4, which is secured to the bracket 3, a ledge 5 turned from one end of the section 4 With which the latch bolt engages, and a trip finger B turned in the same direction as the ledge 5 and spaced therefrom as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The door 1 of the refrigerator which is hingedly mounted in the usual manner for closing the refrigerator open side and for opening to gain access to the contents of the refrigerator has, at its inner side, a plate 8 usually of non-metallic material with an opening 9 therethrough covered by a thin plate I 0 with a smaller opening. II. Through said openings 9 and I0 the keeper or strike previously described passes to the interior of the door when the door is closed. The disclosure of the latch structure shows it semi-concealed within the door, the operating handle therefor being mounted at the outer side of the door, but the invention is not to Abe considered as restricted solely to concealed latch installation.

The outer side I2 of the door is of a usual and conventional shape and form and connected with the remaining parts of the door in accordance with well known practice. The door, at its inner side and around its outer edges, is provided with a cushioning compressible gasket I3 usually of rubber or similar material which when the door is closed and held in tightly closed position, is compressed and maintains a tight seal between the door and door casing or jamb to avoid entrance of heat which serves to decrease the efli-` ciency of the refrigerator. Also, as shown in Fig. 1, a relatively heavy supporting plate I4 of the shape shown is made a part of the door being concealed back of the outer side I2 and connected at one end by brackets I5 together with inner and outer plates I6 and I'I, one of which lies at the inner side of the outside member I2 of the refrigerator and the other at the outer side thereof. Screws are used to connect the two plates together, said screws at one edge of the plate also being utilized to secure the bracket I5 in place. The plates I6 and II have oppositely disposed door is mounted upon the plate I4.

vbar 28 to the le sleeve guides I8 for a latch operating rod I8 which passes through and is guided by said sleeves and at its inner end portion passes through an opening in the plate I4 to engage with a suitable part of the interior latch mechanism to actuate the same when the rod is forced inwardly.

A handle 28 for manual operation is pivotally mounted between its ends on brackets 2I extending outwardly from the outer plate I1 being normally spring actuated by spring 22 to swing in a counter-clockwise direction about its pivot. Said handle has a ledge 23 against which the outer end of the rod I9 bears, whereby on pulling outwardly on the handle, the rod I9 is moved inwardly. 'I'he usual decorative covering'or housing (not numbered) is used in connection with the inner end of the handle and parts associated therewith as shown. Such operating handle structure including a rod similar to the rod I9 for latch actuating is old and weil known and is not in itself any part of the present invention.

The latch construction concealed within the It includes a housing of sheet metal having spaced parallel sides 24 integrally connected at their inner edges by an inner side 25 which is inclined at an acute angle to the general vertical plane of the door. The sides 24 of the housing at vtheir outer edges are turned outwardly to provide ila'nges 28 with suitable slotted openings therein (Fig. 4) for the passage of screws for connection to the supporting plate.

Adjacent to what may be termed the inner ends of the sides 24 of said housing, a cross rod 21 is mounted, being riveted over at its ends and lying between the sides 24. A flat bar 28 is provided with a slot 28 adjacent its inner end, therod 21 passing through said slot. In practice rod 21 is provided with spacing sleeves, the two innermost of which come at their adjacent ends against op- Dosite sides of the bar 28. A rod 38 extends transversely through the opposite or outer end of the bar 28, having heads 8| at opposite ends at the outer sides of the sides 24 of the housing.

Said shaft, at its end portions, passes through slots 82 made in the housing sides '24, said slots 32 being equal in length and parallel to the side 25 of the housing. On the shaft 88 at each side of the bar 28 vrollers 38 are mounted which are adapted to ride against the inner side of the housing side 25 and which, preferably, in practice will be formed integral with sleeves extending inwardly toward each other, the free ends of the sleeves coming against the opposite sides of the bar 28. The rollers 88 however are spaced at their outer sides a distance from the inner sides of the sides 24 oi' the housing and therefore are spaced from the heads 8I. A relatively heavy coiled spring 84 is positioned around the bar 28, one end bearing against the rod 21 or the spacing -sleeves thereon, and its opposite end against shoulders, as shown, near the outer end of said bar 28. Said spring normally tends to move the to the position shown in Fig. 1 or until stoppe by the engagement of the rod 21 with the outer end of the slot 28.

The latch bolt is made from sheet metal having two spaced sides 85 integrally connected at their inner ends by a cross bar 38 and adjacent their outer ends by a cross member 31 but extending a distance beyond the cross member 31 and carrying a roller 88 betweentheir free ends. The sides 35 are shaped with inner substantially straight sections and toward their outer -ends are extended at an angle as shown so that each I the sides 35 oi' the latch bolt is in ei'iect a bent lever having two sections lying at a somewhat obtuse angle to each other.

Between the sides 85 a transverse rod is disposed upon which a roller 88 is mounted, said roller being adapted to bear against rollers 38. The latch bolt is normally spring actuated by a spring 48 mounted upon the rod 21 to turn in a clockwise direction and maintain the roller 38 in engagement with the rollers 33. The inner end of the rod I8, previously described, bears against a cross ledge 4I integral with and connecting outwardly extending arms of a bell crank lever 42, the other arms of said lever extending to the shaft 38 and being formed at their free ends with curved shoes 48 bearing against the rod 88 (Fig. 5). This bell crank lever construction is mounted upon a rod 44 extending between the sides 24 of the latch housing and is actuated by a spring 45 which maintains the ledge 4I in engagement with the end of the rod I8.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 a slightly modified construction is shown. The latch housing is the same with the spaced sides 24, but the inner side 25 is reduced in length as indicated at 25a in Fig. 6, and flanges 25h are turned inwardly toward each other beyond said innerV side 25a. 'Ihe shaft 88 carries rollers 33a spaced a short distance from rollers 83 riding against the inner sides of the flanges 25h (Fig. '1).

The bell crank levers 42 are closer spaced with the arc shaped bearing shoes 43 thereof located one at each side of the bar 28 and, therefore, bear against the sleeves which extend inwardly from the rollers 83. 'I'he latch bolt is substantially the same as previously described except that the sides 85a thereof are slightly diiferent in shape. At the inner side o1' each of said sides 85a, an angle abutment 48 (Fig. 8) is permanently secured by spot welding. The upper sides of the inwardly extending legs of which bear against the rollers 21. 'I'he rollers 33 bearing against the roller 88 swing the pivoted bolt in a counterclockwise direction, pressing roller 38 against the keeper ledge 5 and the gasket I3 is compressed between the door and the door frame or lamb.

0n opening the door the'handle 28 is swung outwardly about its pivot to move the rod I8 inwardly and turn the bell crank lever 42 in a clockwise direction, the shoes 43 at the inner ends of the levers pressing against shaft 88 in the construction shown in Fig. 5, and against the sleeves or rollers 83 on said shaft in the construction shown in Fig.'6, compressing the spring 84 and moving bar 28 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Spring 48 maintains the roller 88 or the abut- -ments 48 in engagement with the rollers 88 and said rollers 38 or abutments 48 follow around the by maintaining the latch bolt in a cocked position. The same action' occurs with respect to the modiiled structure shown in Fig. 6, the points of engagement of the abutments 48 with the rollers 33 being carried to a point above a line joining the axes of the rods 38 and 21. The door being opened by the outward pull on the handle, the roller 38 swings away from the ledge 5 and is moved outwardly beyond the free edge thereof so as to disengage from the keeper and permit the door to be swung fully open.

On closing the door with the pivoted latch bolt in its cocked position (Fig. 3), roller 38 strikes against the tripjinger with a movement of the latch bolt in a counterclockwise direction. As soon as the axis of the rod carrying roller 33 passes by the line joining the axes of rods 38 and 21, spring 34 causes rollers 33 to ride upon the rollers 39 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, roller 38 traversing the adjacent side of the finger 8 and then moving away therefrom and engaging the ledge to pull the door into closed position and compress the sealing gasket. The same operation occurs in the construction shown in Fig. 6, the only difference being in the shape of the abutments 46 and rollers 33a, but both being engaged in a rolling contact by the rollers 33a with flanges 25h and rollers 33 with abutments 46.

While the force of the spring is decreased as it is extended in moving the bar 28 and rollers 33 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that in Fig. 1, the distance through which the force acts in comparison to the distance that the latch bolt is swung progressively increases so that at the nal closing of the door to the position shown in Fig. 1, there is in effect the same as an action of a lever of the first class, wherein the force or power is applied to a substantially fixed power arm of the lever but the weight arm of the lever is progressively decreased; and while the power applied to the power arm of the lever is somewhat decreased it is not decreased in the 4same proportion as the decreasing length of the weight carrying arm. Thus the effective force on the gasket to compress it progressively increases notwithstanding the fact that the force of the spring 34 is itself decreased as it elongates. This provides for a very effective action in sealing the refrigerator against refrigeration losses. The initial compression of the gasket requires less force than at the final stage of compression and with my invention such iinal heavier compression of the gasket is attained.

It should be noted that, in case the door is open, and the latch bolt becomes disengaged from its cocked position, in closing the door the roller 38 strikes against the outer side of the ledge 5 and springs 40 will yield and permit a swinging movement of the latch bolt, thereby insuring against damage which might occur if the latch bolt was iixedly secured against movement.

The invention is very practical and useful, readily manufactured in an economical manner and is of a strong and sturdy character. The claims appended hereto define the invention which is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A latch structure comprising, a housing support having spaced apart sides connected by a third side extending between said spaced apart sides, said third side lying at an acute angle to the planes of said spaced sides, and said spaced sides adajacent one end having slots therein in substantial parallelism to said third side, a bar located within the housing, a rod extending between the spaced sides of said housing, said bar having a slot therein generally paralleling the third side oi' the housing through which said rod passes, said rod being located adjacent the ends of said spaced sides of the housing opposite where said slots in said sides are located, a rod extending through the opposite end of .the bar and through the slots in the spaced sides of the housing, a roller on said last mentioned rod adapted to ride against the inner side of said third side of the housing, a coiled compression spring around said bar between the rst mentioned rod and the opposite end portion of the bar, a latch boliI pivotally mounted on the first mentioned rod, said latch bolt being in the form of a bent lever having two sections disposed generally at an obtuse angle to each other, abutment means on said latch bolt bearing against said roller on the second mentioned rod, and spring means yield- ,ingly acting on the latch bolt to move said abutment means against the roller, said latch bolt extending beyond said abutment means and having means at its free end adapted to engage with a keeper.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, and pivotally mounted bell crank operating means located between the spaced sides of said housing and mounted thereon, at one end bearing against said second mentioned rod, and manually operable means bearing against the other end of said bell crank lever means for operating it, compressing the spring around said bar and changing the position of said roller relative to said abutment means.

3. A latch structure comprising, a support having spaced apart connected sides and a third side connecting the spaced sides at one of their edges, said third side being located at an acute angle to the length of the spaced sides and said spaced sides adjacent one end thereof and a short distance from said third side, each having a slot therein generally paralleling said third side, a rod mounted on and extending between said spaced sides adjacent the opposite ends thereof, a second rod extending between said spaced sides and at its end portions adapted to traverse said slots, rollers on said second rod riding against the inner side of the third side of said housing, spring means normally acting on said second mentioned rod to move it in one direction to the outer end of said slots, a latch bolt pivotally mounted at one end adjacent the inner ends of the spaced sides of the housing and locatedv therebetween, said latch bolt being generally in the form of a bent lever having two sections lying at an angle to each other, and abutment means carried by said latch bolt between its ends bearing against said rollers, said latch bolt extending beyond said abutment means and the rollers and at its free end having keeper engaging means.

4. A construction having the elements defined in claim 3, and manually operable means engaging against said second mentioned rod to move it along said slots and compress the spring means acting thereon, thereby moving said rollers with relation to said abutment means, and means acting on said latch bolt to swing the bolt about its pivotal mounting and maintain said abutment means in contact with said rollers, as described.

5. In a latch structure, a housing support therefor having spaced apart sides and a third side connecting said sides at one edge thereof, said third side being located at an angle to the length of the spaced sides, a latch bolt located between the spaced sides of the housing and pivotally mounted at one end thereof adjacent one end of said spaced sides, a spring actuated bar pivotally and slidably mounted to turn about the same pivotalaxis as the latch bolt, rollers carried by the opposite end oi' the bar riding against the mne side of the third side of the housing. bearing means on said latch bolt to press against said rollers. spring means for maintaining the latch bolt in a position to hold said bearing means thereon in pressing engagement against-said rollers, and manually operable means for moving said spring actuated bar against the spring actuating force thereof, as and for the purposes del having longitudinal slots located in substantial parallelism to said third side, a rod extending between said spaced sides of the housing adjacent the end thereof opposite the ends where said slots are located, a bar having a longitudinal slot therein extending in the same direction as the slots in the sides oi' said housing through which said rod passes, a second rod extending through the opposite end of the bar and throughthe first mentioned slots in the housing sides, rollers on two spaced sides connected by spaced apart cross members one adjacent each end of said sides of the bolt,said bolt being pivotally mounted at one' end on the first mentioned rod, said sides of the latch bolt being generally in the shape o a bent lever having two sections located at an angle to each other, bearing means carried by the sides of'said latch bolt located in-one position thereof against said rollers substantially opposite where said rollers bear against the third side of the lhousing, spring means acting on said: latch bolt to yieldingly hold said bearing means against the rollers, and a, keeper engaging roller located lletween the free ends of the sides of the latch olt.

7. A construction having the elements deiined in claim 6, a third rod located between the spaced said last mentioned rod riding against the housing support, spring means on said bar normally l moving it to carry said rollers to an extreme of movement in one direction, guided by the slots in the housing spaced sides, a latch bolt having sides of the housing at the ends thereof opposite where the first mentioned rod is located a belll crank pivotally mounted between its ends on said third rod and provided with bearing means to engage against said second mentioned rod whereby on operation of said bell crank in one direction, said bar is moved longitudinally and the spring thereon compressed and the bearing means on the latch bolt engaging against said rollers controls the pivotal movement of said latch bolt, as

specified. 

